The present invention relates to a radiocommunications system, in particular of the GSM type (global system for mobile communications), of the DCS type (digital cellular system), or of the PCS type (personal communication system).
More particularly, the invention relates to a method enabling best advantage to be taken of the display means associated with a piece of mobile radiocommunications equipment that co-operates with a subscriber identity module.
The GSM recommendations of the ETSI (European Telecommunication Standards Institute) recommend using a subscriber identity module (SIM) for storing both data specific to the user and data relating to the additional services which are supplied to the radiocommunications terminal.
ETSI recommendation GSM 11.11 and entitled Digital cellular telecommunications system (phase 2+); specification of the subscriber identity modulexe2x80x94mobile equipment (SIM-ME) interface defines the interface between the subscriber identity module (SIM) and the radiocommunications mobile equipment (ME).
ETSI recommendation GSM 11.14 entitled Digital cellular telecommunications system (phase 2+); specification of the SIM application tool kit for the subscriber identity modulexe2x80x94mobile equipment (SIM-ME) interface defines the way in which applications (or services) stored in the subscriber identity module (SIM) are to communicate with the radiocommunications mobile equipment (ME).
In particular, that recommendation describes a set of functions known as proactive functions that the SIM can send to the ME.
The additional services which are stored in the SIM can be of various kinds and of various levels. As examples, mention can be made of the following:
a service for storing data of the telephone directory type; and
a service for sending and receiving short alphanumeric messages (SMS for short message service).
The advantage of operating in that way is to make services independent of equipment type. It is then possible to make use of the services offered by a SIM from any piece of radiocommunications mobile equipment, i.e. independently of its manufacturer.
Thus, for example, the SIM can send a function which consists in displaying a menu on the screen of the terminal, from which menu the user can select an option.
The way in which the various options on offer are displayed on the screen is not specified by the function as sent by the SIM. It is the ME which takes charge of display management.
Nevertheless, the display capabilities of recent generations of mobile terminals are becoming most advantageous, and in particular they provide displays of high resolution (e.g. 15 lines of 15 columns).
The state of the art is becoming inadequate for enabling an application to manage that amount of display space.
In particular, an application which is given that amount of display space to use may desire to manage it itself rather than allow the ME to make its own decisions.
The object of the present invention is thus to enable the SIM to parameterize the display so as to give applications greater freedom to make use of the display means associated with an ME.
The invention provides a method of parameterizing the display on display means associated with a piece of radiocommunications mobile equipment co-operating with a subscriber identity module, the method having the following steps in order:
said subscriber identity module sends a set of commands to said mobile equipment, said commands enabling the display on said display means to be parameterized; and
said commands are executed by said mobile equipment on said display means.
In order to implement this method, the invention also provides a radiocommunications system including a subscriber identity module co-operating with a piece of mobile equipment possessing display means, said subscriber identity module possessing means for sending a set of commands enabling the display on said display means to be parameterized, and said piece of mobile equipment possesses means for executing said commands on said display means.